'We Made a Mistake'

Another heartwarming socialized medicine story.

Oops.

A patient who was given six months to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer sold off all his precious possessions and gave away his dog - only to be told by doctors he wasn't going to die after all.

Malcolm McMahon set about getting his affairs in order after a blundering doctor told him he had terminal liver cancer.

He sold off most of the heirlooms left by his parents and his premium bonds, put his four-bedroom house up for sale, made a will and even gave away his beloved Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

The 55-year-old then went about telling his heartbroken girlfriend that he was going to die and sold off his family antiques at a cut price.

Mr McMahon said his GP Andy Thompson of Enki Medical Centre, in Handsworth, Birmingham, had interpreted ultrasounds of his liver as cancerous and gave him the devastating news that he had just months to live.

He said: 'I just wanted to cash in on everything I had before I thought I was going to die. I started selling things around three days after the doctors told me I only had months to live.

'I was told my dogs would have to be put down because there would be no one else to look after them, so I tried to find them new homes.

'My Bull Terrier Kiser was given away to a man in Walsall after I'd had her for around four months.'

It wasn't until three agonising months later that Mr McMahon went for a further examination at Birmingham City Hospital and Dr Thompson informed him that the cancer cells were actually harmless lesions on his liver.

He said: 'I sat there listening to the doctor detail about dying at home and how Macmillan nurses could help, but the whole time, I was fine. All that time spent worrying over nothing.

'My girlfriend was devastated. I wanted to make sure the people I loved would be financially secure without me, so I sold antique rings, china ornaments and plates left by my parents for silly money as I thought I didn't have much time.'

'For the doctors to then turn around and tell me I wasn't going to die after all left me traumatised and still mentally affected by the whole thing.'

I'm thinking one day he'll wake up and be thankful he's still alive.